Page 2 of Scorched

Kirkland’s eyes swam with good humor. Fabrice dropped his hands. “I really enjoy your company. We should have coffee more often, with you willing, that is.” His gaze dropped to Kirkland’s cup. “Not that you touched yours.”

“I don’t like coffee.”

Fabrice's mouth fell open before he rallied. “Putain! How do you survive life? I want to say you’ve never tried mine, but Mon Dieu. I’m speechless. Why didn’t you say something before now? I could have been making you tea or whatnot.”

Kirkland chuckled. It was such a sexy sound. His laughter died as his gaze moved over Fabrice’s shoulder. His expression snapped closed. He stood. “I’ll leave you to your friend.”

Confusion slowed Fabrice’s mind. He didn’t get a chance to ask what happened.

Tidy slid into Kirkland’s place. He lifted Kirkland’s coffee. “This looks untouched.”

Fabrice made a dismissive gesture. “It’s yours.” He tried to keep the irritation out of his voice. He loved Tidy, but he had been making progress today.

Tidy didn’t seem to notice anything awry. “Nice.” He took a sip. “Delicious. I see Kirkland ran from you again.”

While chewing his bottom lip, Fabrice stared at the door Kirkland had disappeared through. He tore his eyes away and focused on Tidy. “Oui.” For some reason, Fabrice couldn’t bring himself to pass along the things he had learned. Tidy also flirted with Kirkland quite a bit. While he knew Tidy did it to tease him, there was still a part of Fabrice that wanted Kirkland to himself. He knew that was childish. Fabrice’s heart didn’t care. “How are you this morning?”

Tidy chuckled. “Exhausted.”

He knew that tone. “Whose bed were you in?”

A laugh burst from Tidy. “Wow. Automatically went straight to calling me a slut.”

Fabrice blushed. “Sorry. I just—.”

“You’re completely right, of course,” Tidy said, cutting him off. “While the options are plenty with the number of guards here, I always seem to end my night with Jett.”

“Oh no. Not the house gossip.”

Tidy’s bright smile never dimmed. “That’s one of his many traits that makes him the most fun. Two in one special. Tea and a fuck.”

Tidy always made him laugh. Fabrice realized he smiled like an idiot. “You’re so bad.”

Tidy’s eyes flashed with something Fabrice couldn’t decipher. He spoke over the rim of his coffee cup. “You don’t know the half of it.” Tidy took a drink and went back to looking carefree.

Fabrice shook his head. Tidy was such a strange one. He was one of Fabrice’s closest friends, and Fabrice wasn’t sure he knew anything about Tidy at all.

Sweat glistened on Kirkland’s body as he took his frustrations out on the punching bag in front of him. He bounced on his toes and threw rapid punches. While he knew he would be happy later that he had wrapped his knuckles, right now, he wanted someone to bleed. That someone was him. He shouldn’t have let his guard down with Fabrice. Kirkland had said too much. Although he didn’t truly have anything to hide, except for one thing no one would ever know, Fabrice wasn’t serious about him. He always saw the teasing in Fabrice’s eyes. For some reason all his own, Fabrice liked to toy with him. Maybe he thought Kirkland was a harmless game. It was very possible, like Kirkland, he knew Kirkland was too old for him. Those years had passed him by. He had lived like a monk for years for a reason. Atticus wasn’t the only one who had needed to stay alive in that family. While Atticus was his uncle Butch’s main target, Kirkland could never be off guard. Any expression at all would have let Atticus’ uncle Butch know Atticus was like a son to him. If Atticus had anyone Butch could hurt to get to him, he would do so. Thankfully, Kirkland had played his part well, and Butch hadn’t seen servants as real people. Kirkland imagined he didn’t think about them all. Jobs were silently accomplished by unseen and unheard magic, apparently. Whatever it took to ensure Kirkland didn’t end up dead, Kirkland could live with it.

Unfortunately, now all his best years were behind him. Someone like Fabrice could never be his.

“Damn. What did that bag do to you?”

Kirkland jumped in surprise. He had been so focused on releasing his anger, Kirkland hadn’t realized he wasn’t alone. He spun.

Tidy wore workout clothes. His features were happy-looking and youthful. Kirkland really wanted to punch him in the face. He didn’t respond to the question. Kirkland simply went back to his bag with renewed energy. Now he had someone to picture.

Sadly, Tidy didn’t take the hint and leave him alone. He moved to hold the bag, making it sturdier for every hit. Tidy wore a bright smile. “Now don’t accidentally slip and punch me in the face like I know you want to.”

The words stole a loud laugh from Kirkland before he could stop it.

Tidy’s smile got bigger. “Ha. I knew it.”

Kirkland kept up his workout.

Tidy didn’t stop pushing. His gaze swept down Kirkland’s body. “Now that I see what you’ve been hiding under those stuffy old-man suits, I see what Fabrice sees in you.” Before Kirkland could blast him the way he wanted, Tidy shocked him. “His interest is real, you know, and no, we’re not actually sleeping together. We’re just great friends.”

Kirkland had a hard time swallowing even a word Tidy said. “Don’t treat me like a fool. I’ve seen you two together.”